The Horcrux Cave
by PenPatronus
Summary: When Bill Weasley disappears while trying to break new curses that the Death Eaters have constructed around Voldemort's cave, it's up to Harry, Ron, Neville and George to get to him before the Inferi do. Adventure, hurt / comfort, drama, family DISCONTINUED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE


**Summary:** When Bill Weasley disappears while trying to break new curses that the Death Eaters have constructed around Voldemort's cave, it's up to Harry, Ron, Neville and George to get to him before the Inferi do. Adventure, hurt / comfort, drama, family.

**The Horcrux Cave  
><strong>PenPatronus  
>Chapter 1 of 5<br>**Aurors**

At midnight in the Aurors' Office at the Ministry of Magic, Harry and Ron finished explaining to their wives why they had to leave immediately for Egypt. The ghost-like images of Hermione and Ginny hovered in the smoky fireplace in front of them, wearing nightgowns and shell-shocked expressions. Hermione wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. Ginny's face was pale and she kept biting her bottom lip.

"How long has Bill been missing?" Hermione asked.

"The message from Gringotts wasn't that specific." Harry, who was disheveled and dressed not in his official Auror robes but in jeans and a t-shirt, pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and shook his head. "All we know is that Bill and his team were trying to get into some pyramid and they didn't check in when they were supposed to."

"They don't usually call on Aurors when that happens," Hermione said with suspicion tainting her voice.

"Dark wizards aren't responsible," said Ron. "There was probably just a minor cave in or something, but Kingsley wants to be safe. Maybe Mum and Dad most requested that we go. You know how they worry."

Hermione and Ginny looked at each other and frowned. "Still, if Kingsley is sending you two then he expects it to be dangerous," Ginny concluded. "We should come with you."

Ron and Harry stepped closer to the fireplace and shouted "_You're both pregnant_!" simultaneously.

Hermione lifted her chin defiantly. "That doesn't mean we're useless! You shouldn't be alone!"

"We won't be, Hermione," said Ron, his voice slightly strained. "Neville's coming and there's another team from Gringotts waiting for us."

"And of course you're not useless!" Harry thought for a moment before he figured out how to explain himself to Ginny. "I don't want to risk not only your life but the baby's as well."

Ginny's expression softened and she cupped her bulging stomach with both hands. "Harry, this is Bill we're talking about. I…I can't stand to sit back and – and lose another brother."

"We'll find him," Ron assured her. "Go to Shell Cottage – we'll contact you there. I'm sure Fleur and the kids need some company right now."

Hermione's eyes sparkled. "Be careful. All of you."

"Give James a hug from me," Harry told Ginny.

"Give Ronald Jr. a hug," Ron said with a slight smile.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "It's going to be a girl, Ron, I just know it." Hermione patted her stomach affectionately. "All right. Be safe. We love you," Hermione whispered. Ginny blew a kiss and then they both disappeared with the smoke.

Ron folded his arms against his chest and looked over at Harry. "I'm not sure Hermione bought the cover story, Harry. Do you think we should have told them the truth?"

Harry shook his head. "No, they're worried enough already. Besides, the rest of the Wizarding World doesn't know about this new generation of Death Eaters. Hermione or Ginny might slip up and say the wrong thing in front of Fleur and she's–"

"–worried enough already." Ron sighed and stuffed his fists in his pockets. "Harry, Bill is one of the best curse-breakers not just in Gringotts, but in the world. If he couldn't handle this then how are we…" Ron combed his fingers through his hair and sighed again. "I just have a bad feeling about this."

"It's my fault he's in this mess, Ron," Harry whispered. "Kingsley and I sent him there. If anything happens to him…"

The corners of Ron's lips flexed in a half-hearted non-smile. He was about to speak when a voice spoke from behind them.

"I didn't know what to wear."

Harry and Ron turned and found Neville standing at the door. Neville was dressed casually like Ron and Harry. He pointed down at his jeans. "I wasn't sure if I should wear long pants to block the sun or shorts to keep out the heat."

Harry grinned and held his hand out to shake Neville's. "Nice to see you, _Professor_ Longbottom."

Neville chuckled darkly. "Harry, if you ever call me "professor" again I'll put a mandrake in your boot." Neville shook Harry's hand, grinned, then pulled him into a brief hug. He did the same with Ron and then stood back and examined them both. "I thought you two wouldn't last a week without me around here."

"Did you have to take the sword with you to Hogwarts? It looked brilliant on the wall over our cubicles," Ron said. "You should meet the rookie who got your desk. The kid doesn't know the difference between lethifold and a unicorn."

"Do you, Ron?" asked another voice. A fourth man entered the room and joined their circle.

"George!" Ron exclaimed. He flung his arm across his big brother's shoulders. "I haven't seen you all week! What are you doing here?"

George shrugged. "I heard a rumor that you three were going on a little vacation and I thought I'd join you." George stripped off his maroon Weasley's Wizard Wheezes robe and tossed it onto Harry's cluttered desk. "I do need to work on my tan."

Harry exhaled a sharp breath of air, causing his lips to flutter. "I appreciate your help, George but – no offense – you're not a trained Auror. I'm in charge of this mission and I can't let you come with us."

After all these years, a serious look on George's face still seemed uncharacteristic. "Look, Harry, my big brother's in trouble. If you don't take me along with you then I'll just go by myself." George twirled his wand between his fingers and arched his eyebrows.

Harry looked at Ron for his support but Ron just shrugged. Harry swallowed. He was the Head of the Auror Department and the Boy Who Lived but, somehow, the older Weasleys still managed to make him feel like a first year. It was impossible to say "no" to them. Especially to George, who had lost so much, who deserved so much. Finally Harry nodded at Ron and said, "Get him a U.E.C.P." Ron nodded and left for the equipment locker.

"A U.E.C.P. is an Undetectable-Extension-Charmed-Pouch," Neville explained when he saw the confused look on George's face. "The pouches are loaded with standard issued equipment for Aurors."

Ron returned and handed George a thin, wallet-sized bag. "Loop it through your belt," he explained. "It has everything you'll ever need: food, water, Polyjuice Potion, dittany, antidotes, decoy detonators, Dungbombs, a Sneakoscope and a broom."

"So this is why the Ministry buys Wheezes products in bulk." George raised an eyebrow at his brother, impressed. "Hermione's idea?"

Ron smiled proudly. "Hermione's idea."

"Is the broom a bloody Cleansweep or a Potter 3000?"

"You have the Deluminator too, right?" Harry asked Ron.

"Of course. You got the cloak?"

Harry patted his own pouch. "And an extra pair of glasses. It was bloody impossible to aim my wand last week when that troll broke my glasses."

Ron chuckled. "You looked like Trelawney when you squinted."

"Let's go, shall we?" Neville said before Harry could retort. "I have a class to teach Monday morning, you know. And it will probably take forever to get the sand out of my shoes."

Ron and Harry immediately stiffened and exchanged sober looks. George saw it and stood up straighter. "What is it?" he asked. When neither answered, he raised his voice. "Ron? Harry?"

"We're, er, we're not going to Egypt," said Ron. "That's not where Bill is."

"But Ginny said – "

"We lied. Not even Fleur knows what Bill's true mission is. This is top secret, George, Neville. It's beyond top secret."

George glanced at Neville and saw that the ex-Auror was just as out of the loop as he was. "Then where are we going, exactly?"

"The cave," Harry said with deliberate calmness. "The cave where Voldemort hid the locket Horcrux."

"We think there are some ex-Death Eaters holed up in there," said Ron. "It looks like it's their new headquarters."

Harry nodded. "Dumbledore showed me how to get into the cave back in my sixth year but there are layers and layers of new curses that we haven't been able to penetrate. It took a lot of persuasion from Kingsley and a lot of gold from my budget, but we convinced the Gringotts goblins to let us borrow Bill's team."

George paled. "So Bill might have been captured."

"The last report I read about the Horcrux cave stated that rogue dementors have been spotted in that area as well," said Neville.

"Some of the Inferi have gotten loose, too." Ron glanced briefly at Harry. "Honestly, we don't know what to expect when we get there. We don't even know if we can get in to help."

Harry, who had been staring at the wall behind George, suddenly said, "I'm so sorry about this. George, Ron, if I knew that this would happen I never would have let Bill go. You've lost so much. I know you've all been so anxious about protecting the family since Fred…" Harry realized that he'd said too much and clamped his mouth shut. He looked everywhere but at George's face.

"This isn't your fault, Harry," said Neville. "You're a leader and sometimes leaders have to make tough decisions. Bill is the best at what he does. It would have been pointless to send anyone else."

"Yeah, us Weasleys can't help it if we're exceptionally awesome," said George with humor in his voice. Harry chanced a look at his brother-in-law and was relieved to see that George wasn't upset by what he said.

"Are we Apparating there, Harry?" Ron asked. "Do I need to have Security shut the wards down for us?"

"Yes, we're going to the Gringotts' ship which is about a half-mile offshore." Harry walked over to his desk, opened his top drawer and pulled out a map. "But first we're taking the Floo Network to Grimmauld Place. We need a house-elf."

**To Be Continued**


End file.
